Students anywhere in the world can now earn a
certificate in geographic information systems by
taking courses online from Johns Hopkins.

The online certificate, offered by the university's
Environmental Sciences and Policy Program
and endorsed by the Maryland Higher Education Commission in
July, is opening for enrollment this
semester.

Geographic information systems, or GIS, allow users to
collect and interpret data that are
displayed as maps, reports and charts to reveal spatial
relationships, patterns and trends.

"According to the Department of Labor's High-Growth
Industry Initiative, geospatial
technology is one of the top three fastest-growing
industries," said John Boland, chair of the
Environmental Sciences and Policy Program. "The job
potential for people skilled in GIS is
extraordinary, and the Johns Hopkins online certificate in
GIS caters to this audience. All five
courses are administered online, allowing professionals to
earn the certificate on their time."

GIS has boomed in recent years because many industries
can capitalize on this data-rich
technology. Professionals in law enforcement, disaster
planning, marketing, real estate, environmental
management, telecommunications, public health, urban
planning and more are now realizing the
advantages of adding GIS skills to their repertoire.

Sarah Steinberg, senior associate dean for Advanced Academic
Programs in the Krieger School
of Arts and Sciences, said, "The university is dedicated to
a bold initiative of augmenting our existing
on-site degree offerings with quality distance learning in
a robust, interactive and asynchronous online
format. The success we've had with our Environmental
Sciences and Policy Program reassured us that
providing the certificate in GIS in the online platform as
well was the right thing to do. And because
the format is asynchronous, students can keep pace with
their peers regardless of where they live."